Celosia plant named ‘Zancelpi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Celosia  plant named ‘Zancelpi’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; red-colored flowers arranged on dense crested spikes; and good garden performance.

Botanical description: Celosia argentea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Zancelpi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Celosia, botanically known as Celosia argentea and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Zancelpi’.

The new Celosia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hillegom, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform and compact Celosia cultivars with attractive flower coloration.

The new Celosia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2000 in Hillegom, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Celosia hybrida identified as code number C3, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Celosia argentea cultivar Venessa, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Celosia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Hillegom, The Netherlands in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Celosia by cuttings in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands since 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Celosia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Zancelpi has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Zancelpi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Zancelpi’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Celosia:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Red purple-colored flowers arranged on crested spikes.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Celosia differ from plants of the parents primarily in flower color and plant uniformity.

Plants of the new Celosia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Bombay Purple, not patented. Plants of the new Celosia and the cultivar Bombay Purple differ primarily in flower color as plants of the new Celosia had lighter red purple-colored flowers than plants of the cultivar Bombay Purple. In addition, plants of the cultivar Bombay Purple are typically grown as cut flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Celosia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Celosia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Zancelpi’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves and inflorescences of ‘Zancelpi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the autumn in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in containers and under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 22° C. Plants were pinched one time. Plants had been growing for about four months when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Celosia argentea cultivar Zancelpi. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Celosia             argentea identified as code number C3, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Celosia argentea cultivar Venessa,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—About 9 to 14 days.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; greyed brown, 199D, in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous annual typically grown as a             potted plant. Upright and compact plant habit; narrow             inverted triangle. Freely branching habit; about four             lateral branches per plant developed when pinched. Moderate             vigor.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 26 cm to 27 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 28 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 2 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: 144B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.         -   Length.—About 9 cm to 16 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 cm to 5.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to elliptic.         -   Apex.—Apiculate.         -   Base.—Attenuate with cordate tendencies.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: 134B. Fully expanded             leaves, upper surface: 143B; venation, 144D. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: 141C; venation, 139D.         -   Petiole length.—About 1 cm to 4 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Petiole color, upper surface.—144D.         -   Petiole color, lower surface.—139D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single tubular flowers arranged in             terminal crested cockscomb spikes, deeply undulated; flowers             face mostly upright. Freely flowering habit, about 400 to             500 flowers per inflorescence; inflorescences dense.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering during the             summer in The Netherlands. Flowers persistent.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences last about two to             three months on the plant.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 4 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 7 mm.         -   Petals.—None observed.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five. Length: About 4             mm to 5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened,             upper surface: 67A; towards apex close to 67C.; color             becoming closer to 67C with development. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: 67A; towards apex close to             67C.; color becoming closer to 67C with development.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 30° to 40° from vertical. Strength: Weak; flexible.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 65D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             five. Anther color: Close to 158D. Anther shape: Elliptic.             Anther length: About 2 mm. Pollen amount: None observed.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Stigma color: Close to             71A. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 71A.             Ovary color: Close to 71A.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Color:             202A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Celosia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Celosia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Celosia have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Celosia plant named ‘Zancelpi’ as illustrated and described. 